Eagle Eye JMS Parent Newsletter #30

Hello, Jefferson Middle School families and parents!

First, a message of thanks for your flexibility and understanding during our dismissal on Friday. We know it was short notice, but between our parents, our bus drivers, and our school staff, it was orderly and quick, and all our students were away before the storm started. Again, we thank you for working with us.

As we begin our final round of benchmark testing this week, we are anticipating success in all of our classes! Students and teachers have been working so diligently towards specific, measurable, timebound goals. We are so honored to be part of a team that impacts student progress and achievement. We will say it again; JMS has the very best families, and we are so thankful for your support and efforts as we are on our last leg of the race this year. Please encourage your child to sleep and eat well, arrive to school on time, and to perform their best on their MVP benchmark tests. We will also do our best to ensure all students have an optimal testing environment with all accommodations.

We have several events and upcoming opportunities for families and students in our newsletter. Be sure to check it all out.

Please do not ever hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Have a wonderful week!

Phil Cox, Principal, pcox@ortn.edu

Ben Fowler, Vice Principal, bjfowler@ortn.edu

Brian Tinker, Dean of Students, bjtinker@ortn.edu

Elizabeth Leavitt, Instructional Technology Coach, ealeavitt@ortn.edu

Monday 6, B Day

• PTO Meeting Zoom 7:45
• Spring Benchmark-ELA/Science
• Track Practice 3:00-4:30
• Chess Club Library 2:45-3:45
  

Tuesday, 7, A Day

• Spring Benchmark-ELA/Science
• 7th period Girls Scouts Meeting Rm 208 3:00-5:00
• Track Practice 3:00-4:30
  

Wednesday, March 8, A Day

• Spring Benchmark-ELA/Science
• 7th/8th Grade Bands to ETSBOA Concert Performance Assessment Maryville College-Clayton Performing Arts Center 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
• Track & Field Meet ORHS 4:30
  

Thursday, March 9, B Day

• Track Practice 3:00-4:30
• STEM Night 5:30-7:00
  

Friday, March 10, A Day

• Youth for Christ Band Room 7:10 AM
• Ms. Kala’s class to Motts Florist
• Track Practice 3:00-4:30
  

March 9th, from 5:30-7pm come out to JMS's STEM Night. We have 30 different presenters from around the Oak Ridge area that demonstrate the myriad of jobs available in STEM. We will offer concessions and coffee and fun for the whole family! Come join us!

Laptop Repairs for Test Time

Testing season is just around the corner, and we want to make sure our students are as prepared as possible to do their best work. In order to have all student laptops in working order come test time, we ask that students give damaged or malfunctioning laptops to the Student Help Desk no later than March 1st.

Parents, check out the Class of 2027 newsletter; it is LOADED with valuable information, documents, and tips to help your 8th grade child be successful, even before the first day of high school!

Class of 2027 Counselor Connection | Smore Newsletters

Please be sure to mark your calendars for the following TCAP Testing Dates! Attendance and punctuality on these dates is critical and gives students a chance to show what they have learned and is also an indicator of JMS success overall! We so much appreciate your efforts in being sure your child is here for our testing days.

Access the button/bar below to learn more about the tests, time per test, and content at our state website!

Please be sure students are coming to school in dress code and dressed for success! JMS Administration has noticed an increase in the areas listed below and would like to remind students and families of ORS Code of Conduct.

Students are prohibited from wearing:

• Clothing that resembles sleepwear such as lounging pants, or other lounging items. This also includes house shoes.
• Students are not permitted to wear pants or shorts with holes above the knee. This includes wearing any type of shorts or leggings underneath ripped attire.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CONTEST 2023 The Branch’s Education Committee is sponsoring a Black History Month Contest for Oak Ridge School/Anderson County Schools Middle (6-8) and High School (9-12) youths. Awards will be given to 1st, 2nd and 3rdPlace winners from Oak Ridge Schools and Anderson County Schools. The Black History Month Contest question will be:

“How would you create a curriculum to include the Clinton 12 or the Scarboro 85 in the school system.” You could create a podcast, develop a lesson plan, or develop a creative or dramatic art project (like a mural or a play for example).

*Please see the attached flyer for details!

Jefferson’s first track meet of the season is on Wednesday at Oak Ridge High School! Field events begin at 4:30pm, followed by running events at 5pm. Go Eagles!

Athletic Interest Meetings for the 2023-2024 JMS Athletic Teams are coming up shortly after Spring Break. If you are a rising 6th, 7th or 8th grader and are interested in trying out for one of the JMS athletic teams for next school year, please make plans to attend these meetings.

Interest meeting dates and times are as follows:

Cheer Interest Meeting: Tuesday, April 4th @ 7am in Erin Brewster’s classroom—room 315.

Girls Basketball: Monday, April 17th @ 7:10am in Ms. Taylor’s classroom—room 218.

Girls Volleyball: Tuesday, April 18th @ 7:10am in Ms. Taylor’s classroom—room 218.

Football: Thursday, April 20th @ 7:10am in Coach Ellison’s classroom—room 311.

Boys Basketball: Friday, April 21st @ 7:10am in Coach Nicely’s classroom—304.

2023-2024 Sports Physical Forms will be shared soon.

As always, GO EAGLES!

Thank you,

Coach Bolling

All 8th graders interested in trying out, please access the document below. An interest meeting will be held April 10 at ORHS Amphitheater.

Healthy Breakfast at Home

Getting out the door in the mornings can be a challenge, to put it mildly. Between parent schedules, sleepy kids and all the moving parts in the morning, it can be quite a feat to get all family members to eat breakfast, let alone a healthy one. If a leisurely hearty breakfast at home is not an option, be sure to give your kids an easy grab-and-go option they can eat on the bus or at school when they do feel hungry.

And don’t forget how important your good example is. Let your kids see you making time to enjoy breakfast and refuel your brain and body with a healthy morning meal.

Here are some ways to make your morning easier:

At home :Prep ingredients the night before. Lay out your bowls/plates/silverware to make for quicker serving. Make breakfast items on the weekend that can be reheated easily, like hearty whole grain muffins, a frittata or egg and cheese muffin cups. Make extra whole grain pancakes on Sunday for the fridge or freezer.

Eating cereal can take, literally, five minutes. If possible, try to sit down as a family a couple times a week for a whole-grain bowl of cereal topped with fruit.

On the go:

Borrow a page from schools and consider the grab-and-go alternative. Keep fruits and whole grain breakfast bars in a bowl on the counter for easy access.

Keep frozen fruits on hand to blend with milk or yogurt and peanut butter for a healthy smoothie.

Stash hard-boiled eggs in plastic baggies in the fridge

Adults only: Mix eggs, cheese and chopped spinach in a microwaveable container and microwave an omelet at work!

Other ideas:

Whole-grain waffles topped with nut butter or ricotta cheese and fruit

Oatmeal topped with nuts, dried fruit and shredded coconut, sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg

Half a whole-grain bagel or slice of toast topped with peanut butter and bananas, drizzled with honey

Sliced cucumbers and hummus in a whole-wheat pita

Deviled eggs made with mayo and avocado

Egg and veggie scramble

Heated leftover rice or quinoa mixed with apples and cinnamon or eggs and cheese

Whole-wheat tortilla topped with shredded cheese, folded in half and microwaved for 20 seconds, topped with salsa

Source: https://www.actionforhealthykids.org/healthy-breakfast-at-home/

This past week, we spent time Wednesday morning with the following topics in each classroom.

• 8th Grade: 9th grade Registration Survey and Capstone Research, Notetaking
• 7th Grade:
• 6th Grade:
• 5th Grade:

We are especially still in need of Ziploc bags! We so much appreciate all of our parents. Feel free to continue sending in any donations for our clinic.

Congratulations to our students who were recognized for honesty this short week back to school. We are so proud of our Character Trait winners each week!

We also want to note that our Character Trait program is tied directly to our ORS district POG, as represented in "LIFE READY" above: Students exhibit traits of citizens ready for life with age-appropriate measures of self-awareness, self-discipline, and empathy.

MARCH CHARACTER STRONG TRAIT – Courage

This month’s focus is Courage. One way to think about Courage is “choosing what is helpful, right, and kind even when it is hard or scary.” Courage is 1 of 3 traits we will focus on throughout the year that helps students Be Strong. Throughout the school, students will be developing skills like focusing, organizing and goal setting.

What is Courage?

https://youtu.be/psn3xzdVt-I

Family Fun Activity: Courage Activities

Have some fun connecting as a family this month while practicing Courage. Here are some ideas for activities you can do as a family.

• Reflect, think & discuss with your student things you both would like to do, but find intimidating or scary. Maybe it’s a new hobby, trying a new game, sharing your art or invention with others, or going on an adventure somewhere. Try one of these things together and take a selfie to capture the memory!
• Review Courage as a family! Remember that Courage is choosing what is helpful, right and kind – even when it’s hard or scary. What’s something that you’ve been afraid to discuss with your child? Something that might be difficult to explain about our community or the world. Chances are they will hear about it eventually and it may come from someone who is less informed or less supportive than you. Have a courageous conversation with your child. It could be about bullying, the environment, uncertainty, etc. Remind them love and support are two tools that we can use to practice Courage. Discuss as a family the ways they can practice Courage around the issue you discuss.

Registration Information for Rising 6th,7th, & 8th

In case your child did not share this information, we began the Registration Process for the 2023-2024 school year this week. At this time, students are simply choosing ELECTIVE options. Core teachers will be submitting recommendations for core classes after Spring Break.

If you have not already done so, please take a moment to review the Grade level Specific PowerPoint, Grade Level Curriculum Guides and the Curricula Video links with your child. Registration documents are located on JMS School Counseling Canvas page under "Modules" then "23-24 Registration Information" or on the JMS Website at https://www.ortn.edu/jefferson/academics/curriculum/

Students will need to choose an Elective option(s), an Alternate Elective Option, and return the signed form. If your child missed the March 3rd deadline, please complete the form and return to the School Counseling office no later than Wednesday, March 8th.

Students should choose electives carefully, as we are unable to guarantee schedule changes. If a student fails to turn in an Elective Course Selection Sheet, he/she will have Elective courses chosen for them.

Should you have questions concerning Registration for the 23-24 School Year, please reach out to your child’s school counselor.

Cupcakes with Counselors

The JMS Counseling Office is excited to Welcome our new student. If your child is new to Jefferson this semester, please encourage him/her to attend this event.

We Need Your Help!

After School Program

Our After School Homework Help Program is in need of nutritious, prepackaged snacks. All donations can be dropped off in the School Counseling Office. Thank you for your willingness to support this wonderful program.

Clothing Closet Accepting Donations

JMS is pleased to offer support for students in need through our “Clothing Closet”. We are now accepting clean, gently used clothing items for the Spring & Summer months. Please make sure all donated items meet the JMS dress code policy. Donated items can be dropped off in the Counseling office. Thank you for your support!

Mental Health Resources

For mental health support, please feel free to reach out to the Jefferson Middle School Counseling Department at (865) 425-9301.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please refer to the information below:

Mobile Crisis/Youth Villages: 866-779-9225

Ridgeview Behavioral Health in Oak Ridge: 482-1076

Statewide Crisis Hotline: 1-855-Crisis-1 or 1-855-274-7471

Statewide Crisis Text line: Text TN to 741741

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK or 1-800-273-8255

School Counseling Support Team

Ms. Price – Counselor (5th & 7th Grade) - clprice@ortn.edu

Mr. Sudderth – Counselor (6th & 8th Grade) - pwsudderth@orth.edu

Ms. Myers - Registrar - amyers@ortn.edu or 865-425-9302

Wednesday Homework Help is in FULL SWING. If students have questions about an assignment, need guidance about their homework, or are looking for a quiet place to work, Mrs. Huddleston and Mrs. Ozcan will be available in the Innovation Center on Wednesdays after dismissal. Students will need to be picked up by 3:00 pm. All grade levels are welcome to attend. Please e-mail Mrs. Huddleston (cdhuddleston@ortn.edu) or Mrs. Ozcan (mozcan@ortn.edu) with any questions.

Remember when dropping off/picking up your student:

• JMS's weather policy is to load busses and release car riders during most weather events EXCEPT lightning or severe rain/wind. When lightning is present we will push our students back to the building and delay releasing students. We have had three major lightning issues and a major wind/rain events during our releases over the first term, and we wanted to reiterate what our hold policy is. We thank our parents for their patience as we do our best to keep our students safe.
• DO NOT enter the bus loop when buses are present!
• Please pull your vehicle all the way up so we can keep as many cars as possible off of Fairbanks Road.
• When dropping off AFTER 7:30am, students will be directed towards the main entrance. Go ahead and pull all the way up.
• Make sure your child is ready to exit the vehicle and doesn't have to access the trunk for items, as this holds up the line.
• DO NOT park or leave your vehicles in the neighborhoods across the street from Jefferson. Traffic is heavy during pickup and drop off and parking on those streets only increases the danger to our students and parents attempting to navigate the traffic.

Oak Ridge Schools will be providing resources for families as we collectively tackle this growing vaping problem in our schools and families. For the complete schedule, please follow this link:

Vaping Prevention Week - Jefferson Middle (ortn.edu)

Parents,

We are sad to report that student vaping has increased significantly at the secondary level this school year. School Administration and staff are committed to addressing this concern, but effectively controlling this trend will be challenging. Student access, the ability to hide vapes and the odorless nature of vapes increases the difficulty of monitoring and reducing this dangerous trend.

This trend is resulting in lost instructional time for many students. Students using or possessing vapes that contain nicotine products are being assigned multiple days of out of school suspension. Students identified as using vapes or being in possession of vapes containing THC, are being expelled for a full calendar year. Approximately 50% of the students currently assigned to the Secret City Academy are there due to using a vape that contained THC.

Due to the increase in vapes containing THC, we are informing parents that the Secret City Academy is currently at capacity. The Oak Ridge Schools Code of Conduct clearly communicates our expectations regarding the unauthorized use or possession of drugs. Students confirmed of using or being in possession of drugs at school, or at a school activity, will be expelled in accordance with the Oak Ridge Schools Code of Conduct.

If your child is expelled, it is likely that they will only have the option to participate in on-line learning. Expelled students will be placed on a waiting list and granted access to the Secret City Academy when a student complete their time at the SCA. Choosing to use a vape containing THC or participating in other zero tolerance events while at school or at a school event will remove your child's ability to participate in face-to-face instruction.

Oak Ridge Schools clearly recognizes the value of attending school in person, but we also understand the importance and are committed to providing students a drug free learning environment.

Please continue speaking with your child or children regarding the harm of vaping and drugs. We are in the process of scheduling a Vaping Education Week which will focus on providing students an educational assembly to communicate the harms of vaping. We are also looking to provide a similar evening opportunity for parents to attend.

Respectfully,

Oak Ridge Schools

Youth Vaping Prevention - Additional Resources & Information

2022-2023 ORS Student Code of Conduct Handbook (see pgs 22-24)

National Institute of Health (NIH) - Smoke Free Teen

Alcohol & Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County - Parent & Teen Resources

CATCH My Breath - Vaping Epidemic - Parent Toolkit